Combination wedding and engagement ring and unit therefor



J. H. SCHAEFFER COMBINATION WEDDING AND ENGAGEMENT RING AND UNIT THEREFOR Filed Aug. 14, 1948 IIIIIIIIIMINIIIIMIIMIM Feb. 9, 1954 M H. BY

ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 9, 1954 GGMBINATION WEDDING AND-ENGAGE- MENT 'RING AND UNIT 'THEREEQR Jacob H-Schae r la vn, N..

Application August14, 1948, Serial-No. 44,348

This invention-relatestoimprovements inrings and more particularly-to the combination of: an engagement ring and a wedding ring.

Broadly, it is an-object of -myflinvention to provide. a unit to interlocktwo; rings of an en-. semble toprevent relative axial and rotary movement of saidrings.

A'further object (army-invention is to provide a ring construction whichis capable of being. readily assembled and disassembledby the use of a small, inexpensive connecting unit for-med: like the letter U.

A further object is to providea small inconspicuous slot in anengagement-ring, divided by a central upright and a'slot in a wedding ring so that when each ring'is wornseparately the slots will be so inconspicuous that such slots will notbe noticeable. Theslots-m-ay beincorporated as part of the design if desired. When the engagement ring and wedding ring are worn together on a single fingenthe small separate'inter-locking unit is usedtointerlock both ringsto prevent-axial rotation to one anotherto simulate a unitary ring construction keeping the rings at all times in spaced relationship and preventing the rings from rubbing against one another.

Still a further object-is'to providea resilient interlocking unit which neednot be handled with an instrument, or pliers, but which can be handled-with the finger nails to insert and remove the unit.

Anotherobject of theinvention is to -provide an interlocking unit which will keep therings together and which will lockthe two "rings together by a wedge partition.

The rings are soconstructed-"that 'a jeweler could sell the engagement ring or the wedding ringas individual rings as; nothing protrudes on eitherone. At any' timethatthe owner of such ringsdesiresto interlock the same, such-person could purchase or receivethe-small interlocking unit and in a matter 'of seconds, without any tool, interlock both. rings and prevent axial rotation of the rings to one another. 'Without such an interlocking unit difiiculty is'experienced in maintaining the engagement-ring and Wedding ring in proper position, since-they have, a tendency to rotate about the; finger; relative, to, one anotheraltering the positionsof the settings; and consequently detracting from the; desirable, ornamental effect produced when the Settings: of both rings are properly aligned.v The interlocking separable unit prevents, such relative rotation when the rings are worn, upon thesame finger. When the unit is in pr oper position, interlocking both rings, it. is; invisible.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference is had to the following detailed description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of an engagement ring showing 1. a small; .rectangularnopening beneath the: central: stone.

Fig.5.2 is a side.eleuationuofiraWeddings ring showing .a central openingizdividedcby6a.:central upright partition adapted-ate cooperatalwith. 33,. unit inserted in the engagement-ring:shownsrin Fig. I.

Fig.- 311518, top view of the. separable. interlocks. ingi-nnit.

Fig 4. is aside viewofrthe unit shown.- in -Eigl' '3.

Fig. 5 is a side view nfetheuweddingring= and the engagement ring interlocked 'by :the unit shown in: FigsuB- and: 4,5 the upper-;.portions=beingshown. partly. in. section.

Fig. 6 is .an enlarged 1 sectional "view :taken through line (ix-6 of" 5;

Referring to the drawings, the engagement ring- !10, shown. in Fig, i 1:, has las-small rectangular opening I I inthe central :portion of the-settingl2 adjacent to the inner circumference of -the engagement ring. The setting t2 isonl-y one form. of adesign shown-forthe purposes of illustrationv and may be designe'dto-ho1d-any desired arrangement of-stones or -jewels. :The wedding ring. I l shown in F-igw2 also has-a rectangular opening 'I-5 divided bya central upright member or partition I6 locatedat-the front off the. opening 1-5. The opening 45 is located in the central portion of' the mounting for the jewels and is spaced thesame distance from the inner circumference l1; of the-weddingiingas the opening H; shown infi igl The rings shown in -"Figs. -L-a-nd 2 may-be of anyv desireddesign and the" number; size-and arrangement of jewels supported by the-mounting or setting may be. variedin--aninfinite varietyof forms.

In order to-prevent relativeerotational--movement and relativeaxial movement-of thetwo rings when :worn 6 together on the finger, such rings areinterlocked-by a-separateunit Win the form ofthe-let-ter U. Thisunit 'has-a pair of legs l 9'l9'wh ich are joinedat-one end by a semicircular-- portion Mend the legs taper out ward slightly. "Phe thick-nessof unitla is-un'iform-and at appmximately the centerof the opposed legs Nlthere is a-slight projection "21-, as best shown in Figs. 3- "and--6 The-opposed legs 19 also have notches-m alongfthe outside surfaces so that the finger-nails can readily-fall intothe 'oprmsednotches 22 thus pe rmitt ingj the fingers to easily handlethe; unit P8" withoutthe danger of slipping through the *fingers. The Widthof the unit at the central portion slightly to the left of-the projections '21 are slightly wider than the width of" the rectangular opening H, Theyheightor thicknessfof the,unit IBis slightly less; than-the height; offthe :opening *I if.

When it is-desiredto interloclrthe rings shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the unit I8 is grasped between the finger nails of the thumb and another finger so that the finger nails fall into a pair of opposed notches 22 and by slightly compressing the outer ends of opposed legs l9, the rounded end portion 20 can then be readily inserted into the opening I l until the projections 2| strike the edge or face 7 of the setting l2. Since the unit has resiliency and the width of the unit I8 at the portion adjacent to the projections 2| is slightly wider than the width of opening II, the unit I8 will be retained within the opening II by a slight spring tension. In order to attach the wedding ring to the engagement ring, the design portion or setting of the wedding ring is aligned with the setting |2 of the engagement ring and by moving the two rings together the extremities 23 of the legs l9 will enter the opening l at the same time the central member or partition (6 acts as a wedge to force the extremities of legs l9 further apart thus firmly locking the two rings together. The opposed projections 2| act as a spacer between the two rings so that they do not rub against one another. It should be noticed that the inner ends 24 of the legs l9 are slightly rounded to permit the partition IE to be guided into the space 25 between legs l9.

In order to take the rings apart it is a simple matter to wedge the finger nail between the two rings at the upper setting portions so that the rings can be pried apart leaving the outer ends of the unit I8 projecting from the engagement ring [0. By again compressing the outer ends of the opposed legs [9, the tension of the unit is released and the unit l8 can then be readily withdrawn from the opening I I.

If it is desired to have the rings together, that is touching one another, slight depressions or notches (not shown) may be made on opposite sides of opening H to receive the projections 2|. Since the rings cannot rotate axially relative to one another, there will be no rubbing against one another.

It is understood that various changes and modifications may be made in the design of the rings and in the size and position of the openings to receive the interlocking unit or member with-e out departing from the general spirit of the invention. It is also to be understood that the openings may be reversed, that is, the opening with the partition of the wedding ring may be in the engagement ring and vice versa.

I claim: V 1. The combination of a member having an opening extending inwardly from one side face thereof, a central upright element arranged centrally in said opening adjacent the open front side thereof, a second member having an opening extending inwardly from one side face thereof and disposed in registry with the opening in the first mentioned member, a U-shaped looking unit formed of spring metal and having its legs tapering gradually outwardly toward their free ends, the closed end portion of said U-shaped locking unit fitting snugly yet removably in the opening in the second mentioned member, said upright element coacting with the inner opposed sides of the legs of the U-shaped locking unit to force the outer side faces of the legs into engagement with the respective sides of the opening in the first mentioned member to lock the two members together against rotation with respect to each other when the free ends of the legs of the U-shaped locking unit are disposed within the opening in the first mentioned member.

2. The combination of a member having an opening extending inwardly from one side face thereof, a central'upright element arranged centrally in said opening adjacent the open front side thereof, a second member having an opening extending inwardly from one side face thereof and disposed in registry with the opening in the first mentioned member, a U-shaped locking unit formed of spring metal and having its legs tapering gradually outwardly toward their free ends, the closed end portion of said U-shaped locking unit fitting snugly yet removably in the opening in the second mentioned member, said upright element coacting with the inner opposed sides of the legs of the U-shaped locking unit to force the outer side faces of the legs into engagement with the respective sides of the opening in the first mentioned member to lock the two members together against rotation with respect to each other when the free ends of the legs of the U-shaped locking unit are disposed within the opening in the first mentioned member, and side projections extending outwardly from the intermediate portions of the legs of the Ushaped locking unit to hold the members in slightly spaced interlocked: relation.

3. The combination of a member having an opening extending inwardly from one side face thereof, a central upright element arranged centrally in said opening adjacent the open front side thereof, a second member having an open ing extending inwardly from one side face thereof anddisposed in registry with the opening in the first mentioned member, a U-shaped locking unit formed of spring metal and having its legs tapering gradually outwardly toward their free ends, the closed end portion of said U-shaped locking unit fitting snugly yet removably in the opening in the second mentioned member, said upright element coacting with the inner opposed sides of the legs of the U-shaped locking unit to force the outer side faces of the legs into engagement with the respective sides of the opening in the first mentioned member to lock the two members together against rotation with respect to,

each other when the free ends of the legs of the U-shaped locking unit are disposed within the opening in the first mentioned member and sideprojections extending outwardly from the intermediate portions -of the legs of the U-shaped locking unit to hold the members in slightly spaced interlocked relation, the legs of the U-;

shaped locking unit being formed with fingernail engaging notches in their outer side faces;

adjacent the free ends thereof.

JACOB H. SCHAEFFER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

